NEWARK – This is no April’s Fool. A massive winter storm will dump over thirty-five inches on New Jersey on Friday.

NEWARK – This is no April’s Fool. A massive winter storm will dump over thirty-five inches on New Jersey on Friday.

A rare spring blizzard is heading for New Jersey and will cover the Garden State in three feet of snow – forecasters predict.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for Passaic, Union, Bergen and Essex counties in New Jersey from late Thursday night until 8 p.m. Friday.

Governor Chris Christie has already declared New Jersey a “disaster area” and has asked President Obama for aid. Christie also called in the National Guard.

The storm is expected to develop Thursday night off the Virginia coast and intensify Friday over New Jersey and then just swirl over the state for seven or eight hours, before heading out to sea.

Heavy snow is possible at times, with accumulations amounting to up to 40 inches in parts of northeast New Jersey. Wind speeds up to 70 mph with gusts as high as 130 mph are also expected.

Some forecasters are predicating a sleet tsunami down by Seaside Heights. All residents are urged to evacuate as soon as possible

Authorities are urging all New Jersey residents to stay home on Friday. Do not go out! Mayor Bloomberg is encouraging all New Jersey residents to stay home on Friday – and for the rest of the weekend. “We can use a bridge-and-tunnel break,” the Mayor said.

Power outages will occur throughout the state. Heavy, wet snow will be near impossible to shovel.

Temperatures are not expected to reach above 20 degrees throughout the area on Friday, but meteorologists predict it will warm up a bit over the weekend, reaching into the high 80s and low 90s on Sunday.